LeRoy softball has its eyes on another postseason push

May 14—LeROY — The path to Peoria last spring featured multiple come-from-behind postseason wins for the LeRoy softball team.

A stressful, albeit unexpected route to the Class 1A state tournament for a program that had never even won a sectional championship before.

The low-key nature coach Doug Hageman's team started the postseason last year is a far contrast from how the Panthers will go about trying to reach the Louisville Slugger Complex in Peoria again this year. Second-seeded LeRoy starts its postseason journey at 4 p.m. Tuesday with a regional semifinal game against seventh-seeded Okaw Valley in Arcola. A trip to the state tournament, let alone racking up regional and sectional titles, is almost expected.

Returning the entire roster from a team that won 33 games and a third-place 1A trophy last June will increase those outside expectations. Expectations Hageman and his players have had to handle all season so far en route to a 28-7 record.

"We have to be humble and know that there's no guarantee we're going back to state," LeRoy senior Haley Cox said, "but the confidence we have with our abilities is evident. We have the capabilities to win it all."

LeRoy has navigated a challenging regular-season schedule and a challenging Heart of Illinois Conference slate, with only one of its losses coming against a 1A team when Heyworth handed the Panthers their first loss on April 8.

"One of the biggest things we've talked about and noticed is that we are getting everyone's best effort," said Hageman, in his 10th season leading the Panthers. "In athletics, we all want validatation that the work, effort, time and sacrifices we put in to our teams is both worth it and is it working or are we doing the right things? Beating a team that had some success last year provides that — I remember when Fisher made it to state in 2016, Heyworth did the same in 2017 and Argenta-Oreana made it in 2018 — the next year it was a big deal to play them and compete against them to see where you stand. Our girls have handled that part of it really well. They are a steady group, and they play with a confidence in each other."

Lilly Long threw the most innings for LeRoy last season, and while the junior is still the Panthers' top pitcher, Cox is a capable No. 2 pitcher and sophomore Khloe Builta has also seen her innings increase in the pitcher's circle.

A potent offense — LeRoy has topped double-digit run totals in 21 games — features a balanced lineup this spring for the Panthers. Whether it's junior Natalie Loy, junior Emily Mennenga, senior Molly Buckles, senior Lauren Bossingham, senior Emily Bogema, Long or Cox, the Panthers don't just rely on one hitter.

The Panthers have had another successful season without one of their key linchpins from last season, too. Sophomore Morgan Fleming, who started at shortstop last season and boasted a .488 average with six home runs and a team-high 43 RBI as a freshman, has missed the entire season after she tore the ACL and meniscus in her left knee in mid-January.

"The main thing that really upset me was I wouldn't be able to play with these girls again," Fleming said. "We have such great relationships with each other."

Long echoed that sentiment, pointing back to last year's senior-less team as a reason why.

"When there is a designated leader, other girls feel pressure or aren't comfortable about speaking up. Everyone felt comfortable giving their opinions last year," Long said. "The biggest part of our success is the team chemistry and how much we all care about each other."

Hageman sees those traits play out on a daily basis.

"We talk so much in our program about being great teammates," he said. "We celebrate, recognize it and talk about it endlessly, and I think when you get to spring, if you aren't able to stick together through both the good and the bad, it becomes really tough to maintain success. To play 35 games over a short season with finals, prom, trips and fatigue that exists at the end of the year, if you aren't together and if you aren't willing to care about each others success, it becomes really easy to look forward to summer. In my heart, I believe they're ready for school to be over and for it to be summer, but not for our season to be done just yet."

An added piece of motivation for LeRoy? If the Panthers win the Arcola Regional championship on Saturday, they could win a sectional championship next week on their home field since LeRoy is hosting a sectional.

"We take a lot of pride in our field and our facility," Hageman said. "The girls put a lot of effort and work into making it what it is. If we are able to return home, that's always special."

Hageman is quick to credit assistant coaches Greg Conn, Jim Bogle, Chip Warlow, Kelly Smith, Addi Tinkle and Chris Little in helping the program reload each season. Of course, having talented players and this year, seniors who don't want their careers to end just yet, plays a part. Bogema, Bossingham, Buckles and Cox have been a part of 109 wins during the course of their time playing with the Panthers.

"The crowds we have at games and the people who've taken an interst in LeRoy softball is incredibly humbling," Hageman said. "We've talked a lot about the number of people who aren't directly tied to the softball program but who show up and support us simply because we have on maroon and gold. There isn't anything like small-town athletics and the support that LeRoy shows when you hustle, play hard, have fun and represent everyone associated with LeRoy with class and with pride, is remarkable."